49ERS NOTEBOOK / Streets Breaks Leg -- Expected Back by Spring

Kevin Lynch, Steve Kroner

Published 4:00 am, Monday, December 18, 2000

Should the 49ers think twice about letting Jerry Rice slip off into the sunset? The team might be down a receiver next year, after wide receiver Tai Streets fractured his lower leg in the second half while covering a punt.

Even though he broke the weight-bearing tibia in his right leg, coach Steve Mariucci said he expects Streets to be able to play by spring.

"He will have a rod put in," Mariucci said of Streets, who will undergo surgery this week at Stanford Hospital. "Doctors say if it goes well, he should be ready by minicamps."

Streets, the team's promising second-year receiver, is expected to move up the depth chart with the departure of Rice. Even though broken legs are traumatic, most players make full recoveries (defensive tackle Bryant Young is showing no ill effects from a more serious broken leg he sustained in 1998).

Consequently, Streets' injury probably will have little impact on Rice, who likely will be released after June 1, when the salary-cap hit against the team will be less.

JERRY'S GESTURE: Game balls were distributed to the defense, Terrell Owens and Rice. After receiving his, Rice walked up to vice president and co-owner John York and handed him the ball.

"This wouldn't have happened, I wouldn't have been here without you," Rice apparently said. York and the 49ers worked out a deal last offseason to keep Rice with the team for this season.

RICE'S CONFRONTATION: Early in the second half, Rice made demonstrative gestures and yelled at KGO (810 AM) sideline reporter Rich Walcoff. Fox cameras picked up some of the incident.

Rice and Walcoff apparently have a history, which Walcoff addressed on his postgame show. Walcoff said he would not have mentioned the history had Rice confronted him privately.

"I didn't want to make it (the incident) center stage," Walcoff said last night, "but I couldn't ignore it, either."

For the record, the majority of callers in approximately the first 40 minutes of the program criticized Walcoff and defended Rice. Walcoff said he then chose to focus the rest of his program on other subjects.

SPECIAL VISIT: Willie McQueen is a normal seventh-grade defensive tackle, with one exception. He doesn't have legs. McQueen, a 49ers fan, was the guest of his favorite team this weekend, after flying in with his mother and coach from Flint, Mich., Friday.

McQueen lost his legs six years ago when his shoelace was caught beneath a train. He was dragged 50 yards, and lost his legs right below his hips.

"He moves with his arms and the base of his legs," his coach, Adrian Phillips, said. "He's faster than some of the other kids."

McQueen spent Saturday talking to his favorite players. He said he talked mostly with Owens. "Going to (see) the 49ers has been a lifelong dream," said McQueen, who plans on playing high school football.

"He's inspirational," Owens said. "I told him I was going to catch a touchdown and give him the ball and I did that."

GARCIA SURPASSES 4,000 YARDS: Quarterback Jeff Garcia has his childhood hero, Joe Montana, beat. Montana never threw for more than 4,000 yards in one season. Garcia eclipsed the milestone yesterday against the Bears.

Steve Young accomplished the feat twice, in 1993 and '98. "I've always had confidence in myself," Garcia said. "I always thought I was capable of doing those types of things."

80 THREATENED: When someone says, "Number 80" everyone knows what it means. It's Rice's jersey number. But the number is also significant to right tackle Scott Gragg, who has played in 79 straight games, and hopes to register his 80th straight in next week's season finale in Denver.

Gragg sprained a knee ligament when his leg was rolled on early in yesterday's game. Gragg went to the locker room and then returned with the left knee heavily wrapped.

"Once I got it taped, it felt pretty good," said Gragg, who said it's not assured he'll play in Denver. "Sometimes you've got to keep the greater good in mind. I've always kept that in my thought process."

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